ANALYZING DATA USING GRAPHS

Statistics

Statistics is the collection and classification of data that are in the form of numbers. • Summarize• Characterize• Analyze• Compare data.

Mean

A mean is the number obtained by adding up the data for a given characteristic and dividing this sum by the number of individuals. Average

Distribution

Distribution is the relative arrangement of the members of a statistical population, and is usually shown in a graph

The graphs of many characteristics of populations, such as the heights of people, form bell-shaped curves.

Distribution

Probability

Probability is the likelihood that a possible future event will occur in any given instance of the event.

Probability is usually expressed as a number between 0 and 1 and written as a decimal rather than as a fraction

Large enough sample size in order to obtain accurate results.

Understanding the News

The news contains statistics everyday. For example, a reporter might say, “A study

shows that forest fires increased air pollution in the city last year.”

This could lead you to gather and then graph data on the pollution levels for last 20 years, and looking to see if this years seem unusually high.

Paying attention to statistics will make you a better consumer of information.

Risk

Risk is the probability of an unwanted outcome.

People often worry about big oil spills, but as the pie chart shows, there is a much greater risk of oil pollution from everyday sources.

Risk

Most citizens overestimate the risk of sensational environmental problems and underestimate the risk of ordinary ones.